China resumed its military exercises in the waters surrounding Taiwan island, according to the territory’s defense ministry, with numerous warships and fighter planes crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line.
The exercises, which on Thursday included firing ballistic missiles and deploying fighter jets, follow the visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the democratic island, which Beijing claims as its own.
Beijing’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the Chinese army “flew more than 100 warplanes including fighters and bombers” during the exercises, as well as “over 10 destroyers and frigates”.
State broadcaster CCTV and the Communist Party’s tabloid Global Times reported that Chinese missiles had flown over the island, with the Global Times claiming the drills had “completely locked down” the island.
Taiwan said the Chinese military fired 11 Dongfeng-class ballistic missiles “in several batches”.
It said the missiles were high in the atmosphere and constituted no threat but did not give details of their flight paths, citing intelligence concerns.
More than 100 aircraft, including the PLA’s best combat planes — such as the J-20 stealth fighter jet, the J-16 strike jet and the YY-20 aerial refueling aircraft — were sent to airspace to the north, southwest and southeast of Taiwan to perform joint reconnaissance, air penetration and fire support drills.
Meanwhile, more than 10 guided-missile destroyers and frigates had been deployed near Taiwan to fulfill blockade and area-denial tasks, according to the PLA Eastern Theater Command.
The command has been conducting joint exercise and training operations in the air and waters surrounding Taiwan since Tuesday night.
